Were taking Festival UnBound to the next level!
Join us for our full year of arts-centric events taking place all over Bethlehem.
What is UnBound Year-Round?
Community-centric. Eclectic. Thought-provoking. It is our year-long programming series that is a “grab-bag” of events in all shapes and sizes, and at venues all throughout Bethlehem. Our goal with this series is to bring people together in an environment that allows us to grow, to be empathetic, to see other perspectives, to share stories, and to shine a light on complex ideas in an artistic and safe way.
It is art of all kinds, everywhere, for everyone.
What can I expect this year?
Here are some of the treats we have in store for you this season:
- La Ultima Parada, Bellavista Prison, and Encuentro En El Teatro – Two playreadings and a look behind the scenes of prominent local playwright José Díaz.
- Alice in Informationland – An interactive AI themed re-imagining of Alice In Wonderland at the Linderman Library.
- Is Love So Small A Pain?– An adaptation of the classic Greek tragedy Medea, transformed into an interactive playreading.
- Our Fall and Winter Story Cabarets – Two relaxed, intimate evenings of story-sharing.
- Language of Dolls – A collaborative theater piece that questions the origins of racism and identity by Lizzie Olesker, Peggy Pettitt, and Louise Smith.
- Storycircle Workshop: How We Learn Who We Are – A storycircle responding to the themes and questions of Language of Dolls.
- America Dreams – An interactive, theatrical carnival adventure, where each attraction takes you deeper into America’s dreams.
- Bombazo – A community-friendly jam session with local Latinx musicians.
CLICK HERE for more information about our 25-26 season!
The History of Festival UnBound
In October 2019, twenty years after the closing of Bethlehem Steel, Touchstone launched the inaugural ten-day Festival UnBound, using the arts as a vehicle to explore questions of community and identity: Who are we, now that the Steel is gone? What are the challenges ahead, and what are the values that hold us together as we shape our future?
Over the next five years, Festival UnBound evolved into an annual multi-day celebration full of arts-infused events, performances, and hands-on workshops for all who call the Lehigh Valley home. Featuring visual arts, live music, participatory dance, original theatre, workshops, and more, this hyper-local smorgasbord of arts took place at venues all throughout the Lehigh Valley. And now in our seventh year, after dipping our toes into year-long programming with the Big Read last year, Festival UnBound has officially transitioned to UnBound Year-Round! This expansion, with events throughout Touchstone’s 2025-26 season, allows us to reach new audiences, find new partnerships, and allow the art and conversation to continue all year, instead of being limited to a single week. We hope you’ll come along for the ride!
Festival UnBound Sponsors
Gold Sponsor
Air Products
Donald B. & Dorothy L. Stabler Foundation
Silver Sponsor
Amaranth Foundation
Community Action Development Bethlehem
Keystone Savings Foundation
Lehigh Valley Community Foundation
WDIY 88.1 FM, Lehigh Valley Public Radio
Bronze Sponsor
Anonymous
Highmark Corporate Giving
Pennsylvania Council on the Arts
Copper Sponsor
Astound Broadband
Embassy Bank
Lehigh University College of Health
Lehigh Valley with Love
Working Dog Press
Community Sponsor
Bonn Place Brewing Company
Color Me Mine
Jenny’s Kuali
Lehigh Valley Interior Construction
Molly’s Irish Grille and Sports Pub
SWBR Marketing & Media
VillaNovak Creative
Logos by Matt Prideaux